Marked as one of the biggest prize funds in the Middle East, the 3rd Iraq Open, with participants from 16 nations of which 28 title holders, was held from March 22 to March 29 in the 5 star Al Mansoor Hotel in Baghdad. A total Prize Fund of US $ 20000 with winner taking the big catch of US $ 3000. Headed by GM Tarlev Konstantin of Ukraine and GM Gagunashvili Merab of Georgia, the 9 round Swiss witnessed tough fight in most of the rounds. At the end, both Gagunashvili Merab and the young Egyptian IM Hesham Abdelrahman tied for places 1 – 2 and thus splited the $ 5500 equally.

Top 10 after 9 Rounds

Rk.

Name

Rtg

Pts.

TB1

TB2

TB3

1

GM

Gagunashvili Merab

2540

7.5

0.5

54

43

2

IM

Hesham Abdelrahman

2382

7.5

0.5

53

41

3

IM

Al-Saffar Araz Basim Mohammed

2380

7

0

50

39

4

GM

Tarlev Konstantin

2573

6.5

0

54

41

5

FM

Avetisian Manvel

2308

6.5

0

52

40

6

IM

Shalamberidze Akaki

2387

6.5

0

50

38

7

Ehab Mazin Elias

2162

6.5

0

43

34

8

FM

El Adnani Mokliss

2392

6

0

52

40

9

FM

Ahmed Ali Layth Ahmed

2296

6

0

46

35

10

IM

Al-Zendani Zendan

2357

6

0

45

35

The event was opened under the patronage of Youth and Sports Minister H.E. Jassim Jaffer and concluded by Iraq Olympic Committee first deputy Mr. Bashar Mustafa. The Chief Arbiter was IA/IO Shaker Alafoo of Bahrain.